SQUAREPUSHER album poll

This is easily Go Plastic.

not heard the latest but it's still gotta be Hard Normal Daddy for me, that one really opened my brain up in a big way

It's probably between those two for me, also really like Hello Everything and the latest one.

Squarepusher's one of these artists where every album has at least one/two pieces of gold surrounded by stuff that really should have just been left on a hard drive.

Hard Normal Daddy's the most consistently decent record, but it was before he really "became" Squarepusher in my eyes. Music Is One Rotted Note is a good distillation of his jazzier phase and I'd really like to revisit it now that I've found myself getting in to avantgarde and free jazz proper.
The last three albums kind of sit together as one in my brain - some really good stuff in there, but I must have listened to each one approx once each.

I don't know if I can listen to these anymore - I made an effort to go through and re-listen to 'em all and gave up after Go Plastic. I feel like it's the side of IDM that hasn't really held up well.

Big Loada EP >>> the albums

some really quite interesting stuff on Squarepusher's wiki page.

Jordan OTM, Big Loada is the best all the way through.

Jordan super OTM

voting Hard Normal Daddy

"My Red Hot Car" might be the best track he ever made, but most of that record doesn't do it for me.

Had the best ever stoned "holy shit this music is INCREDIBLE" moment to the first two tracks off selection sixteen. So, that.

I agree with DL, but I would be more generous in saying that while I don't think he's ever made a perfect LP, I've always enjoyed at least half of every album he's every done. Might vote for Hello Everything or HND.

I'd argue that HND is perfect, Feed Me Weird Things approaches perfection, Big Loada is the best artifact of music he's put out, and the rest is comprised of tracks of merit surrounded by nonsense.

Also, I've never been able to fully figure out why I love the d&b bits of Squarepusher and Aphex Twin, but have never been able to connect with 99% of other drum and bass records.

maybe because they have a lot more going on melodically/harmonically, rather the bare minimum to let the, uh, drums and bass happen?

I wouldn't say that's strictly true unless you're specifically talking about the jump-up subsection of d&b, which can be really wearying and trying to listen to but mixes well in a set. Techstep still rules, though.

and honestly Squarepusher/Aphex usually have too much going on up top for me in their uptempo tracks, which is why 'Massif' is such a standout.

i remember liking 'Hello Everything' at the time, i should go back and check that out again.

xp i dunno, there's also a cartoonish, video-gamey style of melodicism going on in aphex/squarepusher that you don't generally hear in 'proper' d'n'b a whole lot.

also that bit in chin hippy, from HND, where it just goes all-out insane is just O_O

i remember liking 'Hello Everything' at the time, i should go back and check that out again.

― lil urbane (Jordan)

It's really good.

HND

though as others have pointed out the desert island disc might be "burningn'n tree" or "big loada"

anyone gonna rep for shobaleader?

listening to a random playlist of the 'pusher and 'The Exploding Psychology' never sounded so good.

WELCOME TO EUROPE!

look all I'm saying is that No U-Turn's Torque compilation basically sounds like the world's best Wipeout soundtrack and that while the approach to melodic line is different, it works as well as the stuff Squarepusher and Aphex Twin do (see also: Plug)

the CD version (i think) of Big Loada that has "Port Rhombus" and other single-y bits attached is perfect i think but my vote wd be for Go Plastic specifically for the surrounding nonsense

would vote burningn'n tree in a heartbeat but since its not here, HND for sure

i've listened to the first 5 or so but Feed Me Weird Things is the only one that has ever really been a keeper for me

I have a soft spot for Ultravisitor despite the fact that it never ends

So many of his albums are inconsistent, yet have absolute standout classics. But I'll choose from the shortlist of "consistent" records that I love from start to finish: Feed Me Weird Things, Ultravisitor, Hello Everything and Ufabulum.

Ended up going with Hello Everything because it has that great combo of consistency and standout classics as well as enough diversity where it felt like every song was a vignette of a previous album's exploration. Overall this poll makes me pine for a Squarepusher ballot poll.

port rhombus

(see also: Plug)

yees

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Yeah, no surprises here, it's a pretty solid result. That said, Budakhan is essential, if only because it contains Iambic 5 Poetry (?) which is one of his best tracks. Ufabulum was sounding pretty great the one time I decided to check it out but I'm not sure I'm as invested in Jenkinson's work as I once was.

Ufabulum actually one of his most consistent albums ever imo.

Really hoping for a Squarepusher tracks poll.

I have 'feed me weird thing' but was a bit meh.

what am I missing?

xpost it would be more useful to be fair, given his erratic discography.

(don't say 'an s' btw) xpost

feed me weird things seems a bit overrated ITT. it's got some good moments but seems more like a lead-in to Hard Normal Daddy.

Really hoping for a Squarepusher tracks poll.

― Mr. Snrub, Monday, February 16, 2015 11:52 AM (6 hours ago)

I would be happy to run one some day, though I'm not sure how many voters could be mustered. Pretty much everyone who ever posts about him is here, no?

i seem to have misplaced my copy of HND!

:-(

dog latin otm re: budakhan mindphone, love that one.

just checked RYM because there's another record coming out and was astonished to see that Just a Souvenir was his lowest ranked LP, it's definitely more straightforward than his other work but that's really not a bad thing! that's a record from him I can really get in to.

I was just thinking it's been awhile since there was a new SQP lp.

Strange how Music Is Rotted One Note is the first and most concise 'jazz' statement by him. I'd really like to see him tackle this side again, not that jazz didn't figure into his later work, it did, but MIRON just feels so much of a piece, save for the opening track which doesn't fit in at all.

"Iamnbic 5 Poetry" is a track I've played for many who were otherwise unconvinced by Squarepusher and they were surprised this side of him executed. It's the perfect mixture of elegance and disarray and probably one of the most gorgeous tracks in existence.

*existed not executed

it is indeed an amazing piece of work. Squarepusher is so good at melody, it's a shame he doesn't use it more.

Love the melody of "theme from Ernest Borgnine", that's a massive tune

Iambic 5 sounds incredible on the Shobaleader One album.

I could live without the name or the mask gimmick, but the albums good.

can't believe there's a "Squarepusher plays all his great old stuff" album out and there's no ILX thread for it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-j_D-O1vwM

will listen to this more over the next few weeks, but haven't been all that excited about this so far. My main issue is that by turning these tracks into live jams (and they do sound like jams for long stretches), you shift the focus from Squarepusher's amazing drum programming, to his IMO not always as impressive compositions and the live drumming.

The drumming on this record is good too, very energetic -- but to really pull this off, I think he'd need to get a full out genius playing drums, because a lot of the detail and interest in the original is simply what's going on in the drums, how they evolve over the course of a track. The drummer would either have to play exactly what is on the record (which would be almost impossible), or be so inherently interesting/creative himself, that the record would be great just because of him.

geez yr really pricking a whole in my balloon Dom

one music fan discouraged before 10 am EST, check

I don't know why but the drumming on the live "theme from squarepusher" vid I watched totally cracked me up... the whole idea cracks me up.. I approve

Really, though, what's with the fucking helmets

So many notes! All of the notes. The drummer is killing it (esp. with that hi-hat made out of crash cymbals to simulate a chopped Amen), but sure it would have been cool to hear a Jojo Mayer or Mark Guiliana on this.

Still, so dense, which is why 'Massif' will always be my fav Squarepusher.

ha yeah, how has Squarepusher not worked with Jojo Mayer?

Boiler Room video is niiiiiiiiiiiiiice

He's stuck in drum clinic land I guess.

really feeling this live "cooper world" too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VypU8zojFsY

coopers world

I'm enjoying the album. How is their first? It looks like it got some pretty nasty reviews, but Pitchfork just ripped the new one apart and it didn't deserve it.

the "deep fried pizza" on this record slays

Picked up the Shobaleader album at the weekend and yeah, enjoying it quite a lot. He's picked some great tracks to do, the band are tight, and it certainly beats all those crappy Squarepusher Live recordings he insisted on including on a lot of his releases over the years

Also loving the nonsensical artwork on the inner sleeve.

I reckon that Pitchfork is pretty fair and balanced actually. This is a decent album and good fan-service for people who know his work, but it's not blowing my mind or anything. I'd love to see this happen live though.

A Squarepusher poll wouldn't be a bad shout I reckon. Man's got so much stuff out there, even as a fan I haven't really properly listened to much beyond 2006 beyond cursory listens. Would love some personal best-ofs, especially of the last ten years

I'd be up for running one - not sure it'd attract enough voters to be worth it though.

I'm enjoying the album. How is their first? It looks like it got some pretty nasty reviews, but Pitchfork just ripped the new one apart and it didn't deserve it

I wasn't into it too much when I first heard it but recently gave it another shake and I thought it was awesome. I think if you dug Just a Souvenir (and I did) you'd probably like it fine. You kinda have to divorce your mind from the Squarepusher thing since subconsciously you always expect some fucked up drum patterns when in reality it's just a fun little synth funk record. The Pitchfork review seems mean - "Daft Punk gone metal gone wrong" seems exactly what people would look for in something like this.

I guess the real question is, will there be a studio record done in this style, written specifically for the band? If not I guess it does seem a bit pointless...

The first Shobaleader sounds a bit like it would work side-by-side with the likes of Thundercat or Dam Funk

Re: the Pitchfork review, a sub-6 for a well executed set of songs seems pretty harsh.

I am disappointed it's a live recording, but I guess they're trying to prove they don't need the studio to pull off the songs?

Anyway, Id like an album of originals next time.

not sure I agree about the need for a studio album, seens like it would be overkill

Yeah, you're right.

That Boiler Room "Hello Meow" is fantastic.

on a related note, I've been listening to it a lot lately and i've come around to the idea that "hello everything" is his masterpiece

I'm inclined to agree. He doesn't need abrasive sections where everything goes time-stretched and weird to be good and innovative.

Having said that, I also love Go Plastic.

I haven't listened to the much-maligned "go plastic" / "do you know squarepusher" / "ultravisitor" since they came out, but on the strength of "hello everything" i decided to pick up used copies. excited to give them another listen

if you're in the right mood for it Go Plastic is amazing. it's like a Ruins album in a way, it sounds incredibly noisy and somewhat random but once you pick apart the interplay between the different elements it starts to sound quite brilliant. that said I can't bring myself to want to hear it often.

Ultravisitor on the other hand, I think that one might be his best, maybe next to HND - its kind of a summation of everything he can do.

Ultravisitor on the other hand, I think that one might be his best, maybe next to HND - its kind of a summation of everything he can do.

OTM

Yeah I like Ultravisitor too for similar reasons that I defended Druqks for recently! It's a bit of a demo reel but has some keepers on there (though I like the more mellow fusion stuff like Iambic 9 Poetry and Tetra Sync most)

Back in the day I used to hook my iPod up to the speakers across the room when I was playing online poker because my computer speakers sucked. One day "Steinbolt" came up on shuffle and I didn't know what it was, just that it was the craziest and most intense thing I'd ever heard, utterly terrifying but also really awesome (as you can imagine I had the volume cranked up pretty high). Later on I looked to see what it was and was surprised to see it was Squarepusher...I was like, huh, I've listened to this album five or six times, never noticed that track before!

Can't get into Ultravisitor, mostly too self-indulgent.

I love how it's hard to tell where the live ends and begins on Ultravisitor, including mashes of live playing with audience chatter merged into studio recordings. I think it's easily his most psychedelic record - an attribute I wouldn't normally give to Squarepusher.

Ultravisitor is kind of when I stopped being an avid fan really. Not sure if it's just cos it came out when my interest in Warp/IDM was waning or if it was something else, but every succeeding album only got a couple of cursory plays from me. Sqaurepusher is one of these frustrating artists with a huge back catalogue where each release has at least 2-3 incredible songs surrounded by a lot of padding.

each release has at least 2-3 incredible songs surrounded by a lot of padding

yeah, i agree with the broad point, though i would put the number of incredible songs on each album as closer to 4-7. of course 4-7 back to back drill and bass workouts might be more fun in theory than in reality, so maybe there is a reason why he pads his albums out.

His best few albums don't have much padding (I think DL and I have disagreed on that point several times before...).

yeah i'm not sure "padding" is the right word

Ufabulum's frustratingly good in parts and pieces. like in the opener, 4001, the vibe is super chill/melancholy/reflective, but it jumps straight into a dubious stadium-strobe light-blow yr wad chorus. Static Shock is pretty sweet as well. The album is mastered way too loud, it kills the ears. Sounds too much like anxious, monochrome Decepticons, needs more low key chillness.

few say this, but I like Just A Souvenir. Like miniature prog-jazz tunes played by (yep) robots. Mastered super quietly for some reason, but it's one of the few Squarepusher records I'd call "charming"

love how dry those first several tracks are on JAS.. it's great

Shobaleader One is so amazing

lol I was gonna post in here how much I dug Just a Souvenir and Ufabulum. I think if you're gonna follow Squarepusher it really helps to not have any expectations and just listen with an open mind. With JAS I remember a lot of people being disappointed that Squarepusher would put out such a "dumb" record. For me it was like...I've been waiting years for him to do that. Ufabulum I really thought was great, but as pointed out its just too loud, which I think marred his latest album too. I kinda like it when his music is just brainless and fun.

The Coathanger (on JAS) is a good curve ball for a mixed tape, and it's dry- almost grip tape, matte as fuck.

you know what, this Shobaleader album rules, I'm listening to it all the time now.

Liking the new stuff a lot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59ke5hp-p3E

Budakhan Mindphone robbed

it has one good song, but it's one of his best ones. maybe his best one

Yeah that's fair (couple of other good ones too though)

That new track is great, has that constant building-up-to-something tension giving an edge to the acid